1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of safety and protection devices, and more particularly to lock boxes of the type commonly used in commercial and residential real estate to regulate access to a property.
2. Description of the Related Art
Lock boxes are widely used in the commercial and residential real estate businesses for providing easy access to properties so that an agent may show the property to his or her clients. A lock box is a particularly useful device in that it saves time by allowing a key to a building (or other means) to be stored within the box. The box generally has a covered opening which can be accessed by a realtor with a code, combination, master key or other element to access the key to the building. This enables the exclusion of others, except for certain designated realtors, from admittance to the building. To this effect, a realtor may bring a client to several property sites and gain access to each without having to obtain keys at a central office. For example, often commercial and residential properties are listed through different real estate agents who have different offices. The offices may be located close to each other or may be very distant. In either case, it is a nuisance for a realtor who wishes to show several properties to a client to visit each listing office in order to obtain a key. Furthermore, not only is obtaining the keys from several locations time consuming, but after the property is shown to a client, the keys must be returned. While drop boxes are established at most real estate offices for returning the keys, the process is often compounded in terms of the time taken by office personnel having to sort through a mass of keys and then organize the keys in some fashion so that the returned keys are then available to agents in the future who desire to show the properties to their clients.
The lock box generally is a device which attaches to the door, such as the door knob or handle, or some other fixed structure and contains a key which will unlock the property at which the lock box is situated. The key is maintained in the box in a secure manner so that only those authorized personnel, such as real estate agents who have obtained the combination or means to access the key in the box, are able to open the box and remove the key. Lock boxes are often constructed out of a hardened steel or other strong material which makes them difficult to force open. Furthermore, a lock box must be secure against thieves who realize that the key to a dwelling is in there and that should they succeed in opening the lock box, they will have access to the dwelling. In some cases, the house may not contain any valuables or items of the homeowner, which is usually the case when the homeowner has moved, or where commercial space has been vacated. However, at other times, the homeowner has valuables therein which make it attractive to individuals looking to steal such items.
Lock box examples and control circuitry are illustrated in the following U.S. Pat No. 4,609,780xe2x80x94xe2x80x9cElectronic Secure Entry System, Apparatus and Methodxe2x80x9d, issued on Sep. 2, 1986 to Keith S. Clark; U.S. Pat. No. 4,594,637xe2x80x94xe2x80x9cDigital Electronic Lock Systemxe2x80x9d, issued on Jun. 10, 1986 to Sidney Falk; U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,556xe2x80x94xe2x80x9cSolenoid Activation Circuitry Using High Voltagexe2x80x9d, issued on Oct. 11, 1988 to Mir A. Imran; U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,255xe2x80x94xe2x80x9cElectronic Access Card with Visual Displayxe2x80x9d, issued on Jan. 24, 1989 to Mir A. Imran; U.S. Pat. No. 4,864,115xe2x80x94xe2x80x9cElectronic Access Card Having Key Pads and Coils and Combination Using the Samexe2x80x9d, issued on Sep. 5, 1989 to Mir A. Imran and Keith S. Clark; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,988,987xe2x80x94xe2x80x9cKeysafe System with Timer/Calendar Featuresxe2x80x9d, issued on Jan. 29, 1991 to Philip D. Barrett, Walter G. Henderson and Wayne F. Larson. The complete disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference.
While lock boxes offer an easy way to access a building in a manner which helps to secure the home and its contents, there are situations where would-be thieves will try to circumvent a lock box. Realtors showing properties, are particularly vulnerable. Often the realtor does not know the client, who may have simply called the realtor and indicated he or she wishes to look at a particular property. In many cases, it is not practical for more than one realtor to show a property and, as is often the case, a single realtor may meet an individual at a location and show one or more properties. In some cases, a would-be thief, posing as a client, may simply accompany the realtor to the property and memorize or obtain the combination to the lock box. The A would-be thief knowing the combination may then return when the realtor is not present to gain unauthorized access to the property through the combination which he or she obtained.
However, there are those situations where the realtor may be placed in danger and can be the victim of a criminal act. Incidents of violence such as rapes, batteries, assaults against realtors when showing a property to a client have been known to occur. Often, in these cases, individuals pose as clients with no real intention to purchase the property, but only to carry out acts against the realtor. In order to use a lock box, the realtor must arrive at the property and enter a code or combination to open the lock box. This enables the realtor to gain access to the key stored in the lock box which can be used to unlock the door. Once the lock box is opened, the realtor, after using the key to open the door, will generally hold the key in his or her possession until the completion of the showing of the property to a client. Most lock boxes provide a detachable face or key carrier which detaches from the portion of the lock box held on the door when the box is opened. In many cases, the realtor will carry this portion of the lock box while showing the house. It is a common practice to attach the key to a chain, and in many cases, to the removable portion of the lock box so that the key and removable portion will remain together to be carried by the realtor.
Often, the realtor does not know the client and proceeds to meet with and show the client a property, usually with no one else present. While it is impractical for a realtor to carry a weapon, as legitimate clients may be frightened by this practice, the realtor may have a cell phone to call for help in an emergency situation. However, this may not provide a fast enough response should the individual to whom the property is being showed attempt to use force or violence against the realtor.
While current lock boxes provide a way to secure a property against unauthorized access, the lock box does not protect the realtor, and rather can actually make the realtor a potential target since those who would desire to commit criminal acts might see the lock box as an opportunity.
A need, therefore, exists to provide a lock box with a security feature which will aid to protect realtors in situations where the client threatens harm or other acts which must be defended directly and immediately, before any other help can arrive.
The present invention provides a lock box device which can assist to protect an individual in situations where the individual is threatened with impending harm or fears for his or her safety. A lock box device in a preferred embodiment is provided with the ability to issue a distress signal which can be picked up and responded to by appropriate individuals. The lock box device in another preferred embodiment, comprises a replaceable cartridge containing an irritant, such as pepper spray, which can be actuated with the hand of an individual by pressing to cause a release of a stream of pepper spray. In yet another preferred embodiment of the lock box device, a pepper spray cartridge and a transmitter are provided.
Lock boxes generally have a body with a removable cover or insert. In many cases, the key is stored in the body or insert, or can be chained to the insert so that when the insert or cover is removed the individual can carry it with the key. In one embodiment according to the present invention, the lock box device comprises a replaceable insert cartridge which is installed in the removable cover of a lock box. This enables the user of the lock box, such as a realtor, to carry the armed pepper spray cartridge with the key when showing the property. In addition thereto, or alternately, a transmitter may be included in the insert or removable cover portion the lock box. The transmitter device can be provided with a button or other actuator which can be depressed at any time by the realtor while carrying it during the showing of the property. The present invention may provide a transmitting device, a pepper spray cartridge or both. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the lock box device includes a transmitter and a pepper spray cartridge.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a lock box device having safety features, and which can store a key to a property therein.
It is another object of the present invention to accomplish the above object where the lock box device has a wireless transmitter for emitting a distress signal of actuation.
It is another object of the present invention to accomplish the above objects where the lock box device had a cartridge containing a pepper spray which can be actuated to selectively release pepper spray in situations of distress.
It is a further object of the present invention to accomplish the above objects where the transmitter and/or pepper spray cartridge is discretely provided.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a lock box device which has a transmitter which can be actuated to transmit a signal to a receiver at a location remote from the transmitter.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a lock box device which has a transmitter and a pepper spray cartridge each of which can be separately actuated, or simultaneously actuated.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a lock box device which has selectively attachable safety features, including a pepper spray cartridge, a transmitter, or both.